Garden implement



'May 29, 1945. w. w. KEowN GARDEN IraPuLrrzMEN'K Filed July 25; 1944- IIE.

*Hq ATTORNEY Patented May 29, 1945 GARDEN IMPLEMENT Walter W. Keown, San Leandro, Calif.A Application July 25, 19514, Serial No. 546,458:

8 Claims.

The invention relates to tools for aiding the transplanting and dustingrof small plants. l

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a, garden tool, the use of which permits the transplanting of small plants without shock or injury. l y

Another object of the inventionis the provision of a transplanting tool including mechanism by which the plant maybe dusted before its release from the tool.

My invention possesses other objects and features of value, some of which with the foregoing w111 be set forth in the following description of the invention.l It is to be understood that'I do not limit myself to the showing made by the'said description and the drawing as I may adopt variant forms of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical central section showing my transplanting tool. Portions of the figure-are omitted to reduce its size,

Figure 2 is a combined elevationand verticaly I section, the plane of section passing through the long axis of the implement. The tool is shown after its insertion into the ground around a. `plant to be lifted. Portions of the upper part of the tool are omitted to figure.

In terms of broad inclusion, the garden tool of my invention comprises a cylinder having an open end so that it may be placed over a small plant and pressed down into the ground to surround the root clump of the plant. y A piston is arranged in the `cylinder with a piston rod extending through the .top closure thereof to a handle so that the piston may bemoved up and down in the cylinder. Extending on the side ofthe piston opposite the piston rod and lying againstr the inside wallof the cylinder is acylindrical flange, terminating at its lower end in afsmall internal bead.' This cylindrical flange is raisedwith the piston before the cylinder is pushed over a plant when the piston is pushed down; and its function is to eject the clump ofdirt from the cylinder and into the previously formed hole which is to be the new location of the plant. 'I'he shape of the piston is generally that of a cup Lso that a quantity of dusting powder may be carried therein. Valve controlled passages are disposed in the piston rod to permitfree movement of the piston and so that aftertheplant is in place, the piston may be pulled up to discharge a. cloud of dustinto the lower part of the cylinder which at this time reduce the length of the surrounds the plant above ground. The valves are so arranged that in one position, raising the piston will discharge dust into the lower part of the cylinder; and in the other position will merely open the upper` portion of the cylinder to the air so thatv the piston may be moved freely.` This larrangement permits the transplanting tool to be used solely for transplanting or solely for dusting; but preferably' itis used to dust each .plant as it is transferred to its new location. l In vterms of greater detail, my garden tool comprises a cylinder 2 having vlugs 3 and 4 extending outwardly on two opposite sides of the cylinder to provide a hand hold or step by which the cylinder may be pressed into the ground.r The lower edge 5 of the cylinder is preferably sharpened as shown to facilitate its entry into the soil. The upper end of thecylinder is provided with threads 6 so that a cylinder head 'l may be demountably secured thereon to close that end of the cylinder. A flanged filler opening 8 -is formed in the head and normally closed by a illlervcapvS threaded thereover. Slidably mounted in the cylinder isa piston II with upturned Walls I2, forming a cup adapted to hold a quantity of dusting powder I3 which may be loaded into the cylinder top through the filler opening 8. e

A resilient ring I4, having an upper knife edge I6 bearingagainst the cylinder wall, is sprung into a groove I1 formed on the inside ofthe cup rim; and serves the purpose of scraping the walls of the cylinder clean of powder during use `of the implement. Threaded into the flange I8, extend` ing upwardly from the piston II, is a hollow piston rod I9, the upper end of which is threaded to receive the handle 2|.

A stop collar 22 made in by screws 23 in a shallow grooveformed in the piston rod, limits the upward movementfof the piston. The upper end of the hollow piston rod is provided with vent apertures 26 which may be placed in communication with the interior chamber 21 of the cylinder by means of a rotary valve 28, disposed in the lower end of thepistonrod.

and provided with recesses 29 on opposite sides thereof. The adjacentwall of the piston is provided with opposite ports 3I`p1aced to register with the recesses 29 when the valve 28 is turned from the closed position shown in Figure 1. To facilitate the turning of the valve, it is provided with a valve stem ,'32, extending upwardly in the bore of the piston rod `andterminating at the handle'ZI in a stub journal 33 formedon the two halves and 'secured 'y under yside .of the adjusting lever 34, and jourl naled in the upper end of the bore.

` it into the lower portion of is even with the sharp and when the piston is Vraised by thehandle, the

l Figure 2. The tool is The adjusting lever has a point 36 and the ad,-

jacent surface of the handle 2| is formed with depressed indicia 31, spaced at 90 intervals and showing the two positions of the valve with appropriate markings. Axial movement of the valve j 28 in the piston rod is prevented by a collar 38 f y threaded onto the lower end of the valve and seating tightly against a shoulder 39 on the valve 3|. In the position shown in Figure lvwith the shownv in Figure l, and as determined by the engagementof. the shoulder 44 on'th'e piston rod against the cylinder head, raising the piston` compresses the air in the chamber 21 which then escapes` through the portsV 4| into the passages 42 and'43, .blowing down'over and entraining dust from the supply lyingin the bottom of thev cup so that the lentire lowerfchainber 45 below the pis' ton-is nue-d with tne'dust vandthe plant 4s lying in the c'chamber as shown' in Figure 2 is covered Y ao In order to 4prevent undesired quantities of dust in the air blast through the ports 4|, and;

Witht. y

permit only a small quantity to be entrained, a

conical screen 41 is. placed between thev bottom of Athe cup and the stop collar 22. The bulk of the' dust is retained by `the screen so that the `ports are not clogged with it and the air ow may pass over the surfacepicking up a small quantity.

`When the implement is to be used to raise a:

plantfand root clump,y the `valve handle 34 is turned to align the ports 3|. andrecesses 29 so that air may pass freely in and out of the upper chamber 21, as the'piston is raised preparatoryr to seating the cylinder overthe plant. At this' timeiofy course, the dusting passages are closed.l

Meansare provided forfejecting themass of dirtv 49 surrounding the root of the plant after the same has been lifted in the tool. lSecured to the piston and extending downwardly below thek cylinder is a relatively thin cylindrical flange'5l, terminating at its lower end in a short inturned bead 52. When the pistonand the handle 2| are in their lower positions as shown in Figure l, the bead 52 con` stituting the lower end of the cylindrical flange, lower edge of-thecylinder;

flange is also raised into vthe position shown in now in condition to be set over the plant to ybe transplanted, and pressed into the soil.v V. f y

In order to prevent'trapping the air inthe chamber 44 when the implement is pushed down over the plant to encompass the roots, oppositely disposed ports 53are formed in the wall ofthe cylinder immediately above the steps 3 and 4 and circumferentially elongated ports 54 are .disposed about the wall of the cynndncai flange 5| `so that with the'vlifting Vof'the handle y2| to its highestposition, one of the ports 54, of which there are three, will bein alignment withone of the ports 53, of which there are two.- By arrangingjthe portsin thismanner, there will alf.

y ways be an ,alignmentfoff ports 5,3. and 54 when the 'ilange is raised to its highestl position in the and with a running t against the lower surface of the piston. The lower end of the rod is also Vprovided with oppositely disposed ports 4|, pref- 1 j erably lying in the same axial plane as the `ports l ports 3| closed, the ports 4| are in registervwith n 1 the passage 42 which opens upon the bottom of the valve in the branch passages' 43.A i l With the parts in their lowermost pos1tion as l pivot pin 56.

cylinder, irrespective of rotary relation between the flange and cylinder.

After the plant with its clump of soil and roots has been enclosed, the implement may be picked up to lift the clump, transferred to the desired location and deposited in a hole previously made with the implement. The tool is then lifted while thev `piston is pushed in, which ejects the dirt mass from the bottom of the cylinder leaving the bead 52 alignedwith the lower edge of thecylinder as shown in Figure 1. During this ejecting movement of the piston -and handle, the valve 2,8 has been in the position to permit the passage Aof air through the vent apertures 26, recesses 29 and ports 3| into the chamber 21. If the valve` is now turned to the position shown in Figure 1 andthe implement is held against the ground around the plant, the piston maybe raised lto lcompress the air in the chamber 21 and blow dust downwardly around the p-1ant, v

While it is desirable toinsure against various plant diseases byv thoroughly dusting the plant immediately after it'v has been transplanted into its new bed, thev implementmayfbe utilized as long as the plant size permits to apply dust without using it as a transplanter. Whereit is desired to merely transplant andv not dust the plant, the valve 28 is kept in the lposition to' close'the ports 4|; and the implement may then be used to prepare holes in the growing bed and to pick up and transfer the young plantsto them.

Since it is desirable sometimes when pushing the implement into the soil about a plant to` applyv l pressure on the handle 2|, means are preferably provided for locking the handle, piston rod and connected piston and "cylindricalflange in their uppermost position. This is accomplished vby mounting vthe step 3 between'two lugs 55 upon a The step so mounted is'formed with a downwardly extending lug 51 lying flush against the cylinder wall and having an inturnedy lug 58 extending throughvthe cylinder wal1= t0 engager in an annular groove 59, rolled or otherwise formed inthe Vcylindrical vflangev5l.y Pref- .I

erablythe pivotal bearing is snug enough so that while the step may be moved with the iingers,

it tends to remain inA its adjusted position, either to lock the parts as shown in Figure 2, or to permit relative movement therebetween .when

raised to the position shown in dotted lines.

Iclaim: l I.

v 1.` A garden implement comprising an open end lifting'cylinder for encircling the root clumpof a plant, VVa piston slidable in the cylinder and having an annular ejecting'lange for pushing the clump out of the cylinder, a handle for mov-l ing the piston in Vthe cylinder, a dust cup dis'- posedvon thetop of the piston, and, valve con.r

trolled passages from the dust cup to the chamber'.

below thev piston and from the chamber above the piston to the 4open air. i Y

2. A garden implement comprising anopen end lifting cylinder for encirclingtheroot clump of a plant, a piston slidable-in the cylinder and having an annular 'ejecting flange for pushing the clump 'out yfqthe cylinder, a hollow piston'v rodY Y terminating in a handlefor moving ,the vpiston in the cylinder, andyajI valvev Ycontrolled. passage connecting the. interior of the cylinder with the open air through saidhollow piston Vrod.A

3. A garden ,implementjcomprismg an'open end lifting cylinder for ,encirclingthe root clump' of a plant,A a pistonffslidable in the cylinder Aand,

having anr annular 'ejelctingjflange for kpushing the clump out of'the cylinder; ahollow piston rod lifting cylinder for encircling the rootclump ofk a plant, a piston slidable in the cylinder and having an annular ejecting flange for pushing the clump out of the cylinder, a head closing one end of the cylinder, a hollow piston rod slidable `in said cylinder head and terminating in a handle 4 for moving the piston in the cylinder, and valve controlled passages in the piston rod foroptionally connecting the chamber between the piston and the head to the open air or to the chamber on the opposite side of the piston.

5. A garden implement comprising an open end lifting cylinder for encircling the root clump of a plant, a piston slidable in the cylinder and having an annular ejecting ange for pushing the clump out of the cylinder, a head closing one end of the cylinder, a hollow piston rod slidable in said cylinder head and terminating in a handle for moving the piston in the cylinder, valve controlled passages in the piston rod for optionally connecting the chamber between the piston and the head to the open air or to the chamber on the opposite side of the piston, and means for retaining a supply of dust adjacent the opening of the passage leading to the last named chamber.

6. A garden implement comprising an open end cylinder, a head closing one end of the cylinder, a piston slidable in the cylinder, a hollow piston rod slidable in the cylinder head, a dust cup ara piston slidable in the cylinder, a hollow piston rod slidable in the cylinder head, a dust cup ar-,-

the cylinder head, and avalve controlled passage in the piston rod connectingthe'dust cup to the chamber on the opposite side `of the piston.y

7. A garden implement comprising an open end Y cylinder, a head closing one end of thev cylinder,

ranged on the piston on the side thereof nearest the cylinder head, said pistonrod havingportstherein opening into the atmosphere and other ports opening into the chamber between the piston and the cylinderhead and other ports opening into the dust cup, and a valve for controlling the movementrof air throughsaidports when the piston is reciprocated in thevcylinder.`

8. A garden implement comprising anopen end cylinder, a head closing one end of the cylinder, a piston slidable in the cylinder, a hollow piston rod slidable in the cylinder head, a dust cup arranged on the piston on the side thereof nearest the cylinder head, said piston4 rod having ports therein opening into the atmosphere and other ports opening into the chamber between the piston and the cylinder head andother ports opening into the d-ust cup, a valve in said piston rodfhaving recesses opening into the bore of the piston rod and registrable with the ports opening into the chamber and having other recesses opening intothe chamberon the opposite side of the piston and registrable with the ports opening into the dust cup, and means for lturning said valve for optionally controlling the flow of air through said valve recesses.

WALTER W. KEOWN.

ranged on the piston on the side thereof nearestv 

